What is the difference between Faith Schools and the New Free Schools?

[rov1100]

I say this because religious groups are setting up their own free schools.

[emmie]

i thought that the new free schools are free from control by the local authority. Perhaps that's not correct, but that's what i heard.

[Kromovaracun]

As far as I can tell, there isn't much difference between Free Schools established by religious organisations or groups and Faith Schools - except possibly that Free Schools might escape any regulations on Faith Schools (or just be under different ones). That, for my money, is one of the biggest problems with them.

[LazyGun]

The point is simply that Free schools are essentially free of control from the local authority, and also free at least to some extent from the national curricula (? not absolutely sure about this).

No surprise then that faith organisations are keen to leap on the free schools bandwagon - We can only hope that such faith based institutions lead to a greater tolerance and understanding of difference, rather than causing greater divisiveness.Personally, I have my doubts.

A free school could however have an entirely secular humanist ethos though, should the founders wish it......

[chimerapower]

Free schools are not required to employ qualified teachers. Faith schools are.

[Kromovaracun]

"Free schools are not required to employ qualified teachers. Faith schools are. "

And if a religious organisation sets up a Free School, it presumably won't count as a faith school. So it will not have to meet this obligation.

[rov1100]

So religious groups are not concerned whether their teachers are qualified or not?

[Kromovaracun]

Not necessarily, no. They won't necessarily not care about it either. Or it's entirely possible they might have an altogether different interpretation to 'qualified' and believe they are meeting it, or believe that 'qualified' teaching entails the same priorities as those of their school (for instance what I imagine they would call something like moral and spiritual education or something similar).

[sophie_1003]

That applies to all free schools though rov so you could say the same about other groups that set them up; not just religious groups.